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Alcorn McBride Rises to the Challenge at Top of the Rock Experience at Rockefeller Center

www.topoftherocknyc.com
Note: This news item previously appeared here and in the IPM Top 5 weekly email with a different photo that was captioned as depicting the Top of the Rock Beamwalk, but was later discovered to depict an interactive from the traveling Risk exhibition produced by Hands On! Inc. for the Fort Museum of Science and History and SMEC. That previous photo should be credited as follows: ©Exhibition design by Hands On! Inc. Photograph by Frank Baptie. IPM regrets the mixup.

Orlando (May 25, 2011) – Alcorn McBride equipment plays a starring role in Rockefeller Center’s renovated Top of the Rock experience, a tour that ultimately leads to the skyscraper’s incomparable Observation Deck towering 70 stories above Manhattan. AV integrator Technomedia Solutions, LCC, which is headquartered in Orlando but whose New York offices are in Rockefeller Plaza, selected Alcorn McBride Digital Binloop HD systems to deliver robust HD visuals during the Beam Walk, Triple HD Theater presentation and Summit Shuttle elevator ride.

Visitors start the Top of the Rock tour by ascending a winding staircase from the building’s lobby to a mezzanine. There, they can sit on a metal beam and recreate their own version of the iconic 1932 photograph, “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.” The photo, reproduced giant-size in the lobby, depicts metalworkers digging into their lunchboxes on a beam suspended high above the city during Rockefeller Center’s construction.

Visitors look through a glass panel beneath the beam to see footage showing what would have been happening below workers perched on the beam on that summer’s day when the photo was taken.

“We needed to update the projection system which we originally installed,” says Technomedia owner John Miceli. “We had six projectors, edge-blended and mapped in a very tight space that played off six synchronized servers. We couldn’t find projectors to replace them so we rethought the entire process.”

Technomedia opted for the Alcorn McBride Digital Binloop HD multi-track video player with 6 synchronized channels. The Digital Binloop HD video player provides up to 8 channels of HD video in a compact, economical and highly-reliable package designed for continuous use with no maintenance.

“We thought we’d need to reshoot the Beam Walk video, but when we used the existing files in the Alcorn player the results were outstanding. The same material on the new player showed an amazing difference in quality – it just goes to show the difference in the quality of the Alcorn product.

“Now, when people sitting on the beam look below them through the glass and onto the projection surface they see everything in scale and in great resolution. The Digital Binloop HD player works great and is very solid; the client is very happy with it and the attraction has bee nominated for a national award of technological excellence.”

Alcorn McBride’s products also served as the playback system for the Triple HD Theater where a trio of HD projection screens display four-minute movies about John D. Rockefeller and his vision for Rockefeller Center, the history of NBC Studio and what it’s like to be one of the celebrated Rockettes.

Next, visitors take the Summit Shuttle elevator to the Top of the Rock and its Observation Deck. During the just-under-one-minute trip. blue lights illuminate each passing floor and historic images flash rapidly onto the elevator ceiling, an effect that gives the impression that the elevator is being hurtled through time.

Technomedia replaced old hard drive units with an Alcorn Digital Binloop HD system for the projection show in the elevator. “When the ceiling of the elevator goes clear we project onto the membrane famous moments, including scenes from ‘Saturday Night Live,’” explains Miceli. “Four edge-blended projectors project down from above the elevator; when visitors arrive at the top the show ends and the door opens.”

Joni McElwee Snyder is Vice President/CFO of Technomedia Solutions, LLC. Tommy Bridges is Sales Manager for Alcorn McBride, Inc.

About Alcorn McBride:
Founded in 1986, Alcorn McBride is the leading manufacturer of show control, audio and video equipment for the themed entertainment industry, and a rapidly growing provider of audio and video systems for retail environments and transportation applications. Staffed by some of the industry’s best engineers and backed by outstanding customer support, the company has demonstrated great agility in bringing new designs to market. A hallmark of Alcorn McBride products is their durable, zero maintenance design. The company’s products provide consistent, reliable operation for audio and video playback applications worldwide. For more information, visit www.alcorn.com.

Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She reports on design and technical design, production and project management, industry trends and company culture. From 2005-2020 she ran communications and publications for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA and publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association, and has contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a BFA from Pratt Institute. She has lived in Detroit, New York, Oakland, and now Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts community.

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